


Eating Crow

by Anonymous



Category: Rude Tales of Magic (Podcast)
Genre: Casual Sex, Crack Treated Seriously, I Just Wanted Someone To Be Nice To Stirfry, I'm Sorry It Was Supposed To Be A Goof But Then It Wasn't Anymore, Kenku, M/M, Oral Sex, Too Much Detail About Kenku Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:08:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27010111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Bellow and Stirfry take a walk and relax.
Relationships: Bellow (Rude Tales of Magic)/Stirfry (Rude Tales of Magic)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: Anonymous





	Eating Crow

**Author's Note:**

> Set between Kebin and Brothers Keeper.

“Here we are, Mr. DeBonesby!” Stirfry stopped just beyond the door, hopping from one foot to the other. “The best room in The Delighted Wife, just like you asked for! Ho ho, and of course you’d _have_ to get the best room, because it’s the room for you!”

“Hmm.” Frederick DeBonesby glanced down at the key in his hand, then at the door. “Very well. Leave the bags and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, sir!” Stirfry shrugged off his oversized pack, setting it down carefully. “Erm, do you want me to carry them into the room?”

“No, I don’t think so. I want to be alone.” DeBonesby unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Hmm.” He poked his head through the door frame and back out again. “It’s smaller than I’d expected. You’ll have to find somewhere else.”

“Oh! Uh... if you say so, Mr. DeBonesby. I’ll - “ He stroked his chin. “Perhaps there’s another room, although I don’t have money to pay for another room… or maybe they’ll let me sleep in the kitchen, or perhaps they have some stables. Yes, that’s it, a nice cozy stable, where I can bundle up in some nice soft hay. Don’t worry about me, Mr. DeBonesby! I’ll just - “

“Go away, Stirfry.”

“Yes sir, Mr. DeBonesby, of course. Sweet dreams!”

Stirfry waited for a moment after the door closed before he huffed, his feathers puffing before settling down. Mr. DeBonesby needed his rest. He didn’t need some noisy little kenku bothering him, so it was perfectly fair for him to kick him out. Besides, he could sleep anywhere. He could. Alone.

The others had gotten a room to share. There was a sort of easy intimacy among them that felt alien to Stirfry. Ever since he’d left his fellow kenku it had just been him and Mr. DeBonesby, and it had taken so long to earn Mr. DeBonesby’s trust. He wasn’t sure he really ever had. But the others - well, Albee and Cordelia had been friends before, he supposed, and Bellow was just plain likeable. Terminally chill, shirtless and stacked, and kind even to someone like Stirfry. Of course he’d become friends right away with the girls.

Stirfry made his way outside. The Delighted Wife was close to the middle of town, but it was late enough that normal folks were off the streets. The town had that special kind of silence to it, the sound of held breaths and muffled footsteps. It was comforting, in a way; it reminded Stirfry of his life before, when his family would creep through streets like these to pilfer and mug and vandalize. Automatically, his hand went to his belt, and there was a moment of confusion when it didn’t find a dagger there - but no. That’s right. He had his chef’s knife, instead, tucked into a pocket on the inside of his tunic. More respectable. More like what Mr. DeBonesby would want.

Suddenly the streets didn’t feel as safe. The air smelled like horse piss and there were strange puddles in the cobblestones. The door of the tavern opened, spilling out light and laughter, and he flinched away, dodging behind a barrel. Foolish, really, but his heart was racing anyway. He closed his eyes, breathing hard, and dug through his clothes to the handle of his knife.

“Stirf?”

Stirfry squawked, flailing backwards, the chef’s knife clutched in his hand. He’d fallen to the ground before his eyes managed to focus on the person who’d said his name.

“B-Bellow!”

Bellow’s blue skin shimmered, lit warm by torchlit on his sides and cool by the moon on his shoulders. He bent over Stirfry, frowning curiously. “What are you doing out here, bud?”

“I - I was just taking a walk! That’s all! Hah, yes, just a brisk walk in the fresh air! Mmm!” He inhaled deeply, exhaling with a shake of his head. “Brisk!”

“Huh. D’you need a hand there?” Bellow extended his, and Stirfry allowed him to help pull him to his feet. Bellow didn’t even need to strain to lift him. Probably had something to do with his rippling chest.

Stirfry blinked and shook his head. Stop it. Don’t be weird. Don’t look at his chest. Don’t look at his chest. Don’t look at his -

Well it would be a lot easier if he would put a freakin’ shirt on!

“How ‘bout I walk with you?” Bellow said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Unless you wanna be alone. I get it.”

“No!” Stirfry squeaked. He cleared his throat. “No,” he repeated more firmly, in a more manly voice. “Not - not - I don’t want to be alone.” He clacked his beak shut. “That’s not what I meant, I meant that I wasn’t trying to be alone, it’s not like I need company, but it’s not like I want you to go away, if you wanted to, you can do what you like, obviously, if you want to come with me or - “

“Stirf. Chill.”

Stirfry sputtered to a stop. “Yes.”

Neither of them had any idea where to go, of course, so they just wandered. The Soaking Valley was a small town, especially compared to the sorts of places Stirfry used to haunt, so there wasn’t much to see. A couple closed shops, another shadier tavern, and soon they were out of what could be considered downtown.

They came across a small bridge, passing over a river barely wide enough to qualify as one. A nice solid plank could’ve done the job, or a running start, but someone had taken the time to build a quaint little stone bridge. Bellow stopped at the top of it, resting his forearms on the railing and looking out.

“Nice night.”

Stirfry’s head barely came up past the railing. He braced himself and jumped, scrabbling at the stone for purchase - and seconds later Bellow’s arm was around his waist, lifting him, and depositing him on top of the railing.

“Man, you don’t weigh much,” Bellow said, chuckling.

Stirfry smoothed down his feathers. “Well we can’t all be massive hunks like you, can we?” he spat, only realizing what he’d said when it was too late to stop it.

“Hey, no shame, little dude. Didn’t mean anything bad by it.” Bellow raised a hand peacefully and smiled. It was hard to be mad at him, even for the length of a huffy little kenku tantrum. Stirfry could only grumble properly about it by looking away, and he could only keep that up for, well, no time.

Bellow turned around, leaning back against the railing with his elbows resting on it. He wasn’t facing Stirfry, which meant Stirfry didn’t have to keep getting distracted by his face. “Been meaning to ask,” he said casually. “How’re you holding up?”

Stirfry frowned. “Who, me?”

“Yeah. I mean, I know Albee’s got the whole thing with her family and that’s kind of a big deal, but…” Bellow waved a hand vaguely in the air. “Cordelia’s chill, and DeBonesby doesn’t seem to even notice half the stuff that happens. But how about you?”

“I - me? I’m fine! Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

“Dude. We saw a guy get turned inside out.”

“Okay, yes, that was, erm, unpleasant… b-but I’ve seen worse, working for Mr. DeBonesby. That was nothing!”

“You’ve seen _worse?_ ”

“Oh, yeah, I mean, he wasn’t always a skeleton, you know?”

“Oh man, you were there for that? What happened? I think he said it was some magic gone wrong?”

“It was - “ Stirfry stopped. He _had_ been there, and it was... He stared down, fiddling with his ring. “I don’t think Mr. DeBonesby would be very happy if I told you.”

“Fine. I don’t know why you do everything that guy tells you, anyway.”

“He’s Mr. DeBonesby!” Stirfry jumped to his feet, standing atop the railing. “He’s amazing! I’m lucky that he lets me help him! It is a honor I barely deserve, to serve such a great man such as him, and I am thankful every! Day! That he lets me work in his service!”

Bellow shrugged. “He could be nicer to you.”

Stirfry froze. “Nicer?” He eased himself back down, now sitting with his feet dangling over the edge. “He doesn’t need to be nice to me.”

“Yeah, but, he _could_ be.”

Stirfry didn’t respond to that.

Then Bellow said, “Wanna make out?”

That, Stirfry _did_ respond to, by squawking and sputtering and falling backwards off the bridge. He landed on his back; the water only came up a few inches, but the breath was knocked out of him.

“Woah, Stirf!” Bellow vaulted over the railing and for a moment he was silhouetted against the moon, lean and gorgeous like he was flying. Then he landed next to Stirfry, splashing him. “You okay?” he asked as he helped him sit up.

“F-fine,” Stirfry gasped, still very much out of breath. He allowed Bellow to guide him to his feet and out of the water, into the shelter of the underside of the bridge.

“Sorry about that,” said Bellow, smoothing down some of Stirfry’s feathers. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I wasn’t _scared_ , I was - I was just - look, when you said - “

Bellow cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Hey, hey, don’t worry about it. If you don’t wanna, it’s cool. I’m not gonna be offended or whatever.”

Kenku couldn’t blush visibly, not under a layer of feathers, but Stirfry’s face felt hot anyway. “I didn’t say that,” he muttered. 

“Oh.” Bellow paused, then scooted a little closer. “Yeah?”

“W-why, though?”

Bellow shrugged. “You seem like you’re having a rough night. Thought it could be fun. I’m pretty good at it.”

“Uh- _huh…_ ”

“And, y’know, other stuff too. If you wanted,” he added with a wink.

Stirfry hummed thoughtfully, stroking his chin. Bellow was definitely attractive, no doubt about that. And neither of them were tied to any of the other party members. There was a brief moment of guilt as he thought about Albee. “Why me?” he asked.

“Why not you?”

Stirfry could answer that, extensively, but that didn’t sound like fun right now. Definitely not as fun as agreeing to Bellow’s proposition. And he couldn’t think of any real concrete reason to say no. “Well…” He stretched the word out, giving Bellow one more long look. “Ah, why the hell not? Sure. Let’s _make out_.” He laughed nervously. 

Bellow smiled, and said, “Tight,” before leaning in.

It was always a little awkward to kiss somebody who didn’t have a beak. Bellow adapted pretty smoothly, though, tilting his head at an angle to slot his mouth against Stirfry’s beak. Stirfry had to be careful to avoid nipping at Bellow’s delicate soft lips, so he found himself leaning back while Bellow pressed forward. The lips, as Stirfry had come to understand it, were one of the more sensitive parts of anatomy, hence the obsession with kissing. Kenku had a similar ritual, but it tended to be more active, with beaks clacking against each other. Stirfry had kissed people with lips before, and he’d found the experience underwhelming. 

Bellow, though… Bellow took his time with kissing. After the initial contact, he abandoned the frontal route and instead pressed his lips against the side of Stirfry’s beak, kissing down along the length. He raised a hand to cup the other side, and stroked it. It was a strange sensation, and Stirfry found he rather liked it. He wouldn’t have expected a soft touch to affect him much, considering his beak wasn’t sensitive at all, but the delicate touch of Bellow’s hand and soft, questing kisses were stirring something in his chest. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

Gradually, Bellow’s kisses grew faster and more potent. Stirfry grabbed at Bellow’s waist to encourage him, pull him closer, and was surprised at how warm his skin was. Considering he never wore a shirt, and from the blue tint, Stirfry had half-expected it to be cool to the touch but instead it radiated heat that traveled up his arms and down his chest and he shivered, pressing himself against Bellow’s chest.

He was starting to feel light-headed by the time Bellow broke away, breathing heavily. “Hey,” he said, grinning, “you wanna mess around?”

“Ab-so- _lutely_.”

Bellow kissed Stirfry again, but this time, his hands started to creep down his chest. They slipped under the fabric of his tunic and Stirfry cooed as they pet his feathers in long smooth strokes. He tried to focus enough to return the favor, but it had been a long time since he’d been touched like this, and it was a little distracting. Bellow scratched him gently and Stirfry shivered, his feathers puffing up until Bellow smoothed them back down.

“Hey, uh, Stirf,” said Bellow, and Stirfry blinked to try and listen. “So, I’ve never been with a kenku before.”

“Oh?” Stirfry tilted his head. “I guess that’s not all that weird. We tend to stick to ourselves, when we can, and if we can’t we don’t, well - you wouldn’t find a lot of them in a university, you know!”

Bellow laughed, quiet and breathy. “Alright, well, just tell me if I do anything you don’t like.”

This time it was Stirfry who smirked, the skin at the corners of his beak quirking up. “It’s not so different from anybody else.”

“Good to know,” said Bellow, slipping his hand between Stirfry’s legs.

That first touch was heavenly, and Stirfry let his head fall back, eyes fluttering closed. Bellow might not have experience with kenku but he sure had experience with _somebody_ , dropping seamlessly into a rhythm of feather-light touches and firm strokes that kept Stirfry off-balance, unable to adjust. Almost too soon Stirfry was twitching and biting his fist to stay quiet.

“You doin’ alright?” Bellow whispered.

“Nnnnn-yes,” Stirfry gasped, “yes yes yes _yes_ , Bellow!”

“Cool.”

Stirfry groaned, overwhelmed and overtaken and something white hot in his chest swelled and he ground against Bellow’s hand for more more just a little more _just a little -_

He shrieked as he came, desperate little gasps, his back arching and his toes curling. As his vision cleared he gulped for air, shaking all over and sitting up. Bellow was looking at him with a soft smile.

“Was it good, bud?”

Stirfry nodded, not quite sure he could speak yet. He lurched forward onto his knees and reached for Bellow. “Let me,” he croaked, scrabbling at Bellow’s pants.

Bellow chuckled. “Aw, heck yeah, man, if you want.”

Stirfry nodded, untying the fastenings. He _did_ want. He wanted to make Bellow feel as good as he’d just felt, and he wanted to watch when it happened.

Bellow was already hard, which was kinda satisfying, to think he’d gotten excited by touching Stirfry. Stirfry had something else in mind, though, and he bent his head into Bellow’s lap.

“Woah, hey,” said Bellow, raising a hand, “what are you - _ahh._ ”

That sound was because Stirfry had gotten his tongue into position. This was something he’d picked up a while back. People with lips had a tendency to assume he wouldn’t be any good at oral, and that was because they rarely took the time to consider how long and prehensile his tongue was. With a little care, his beak could be out of the way enough to let his quick little tongue take care of things. He wondered how many other kenku had figured this trick out. But then, his mouth was capable of more exciting things than other kenku.

Bellow rested a hand on the back of Stirfry’s head, encouraging him, fingers threading through the feathers there. Stirfry hadn’t done this for a while, but it wasn’t really something he could forget. All it took was to pay attention and be careful, respond to the subtle signals, and soon enough Bellow was groaning as he came in Stirfry’s mouth, hot and salty.

“Damn, Stirfry,” he said when he got his breath back. “You’re good at that.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Stirfry answered, wiping his beak with the back of his hand.

Bellow stretched out an arm. Before Stirfry could let himself think about it he crawled into it, curling up against Bellow’s chest, practically purring. Bellow was warm, and his chest was firm; Stirfry felt safe here.

Soon, though, afterglow wore off, and they both came to the realization that they were sitting in muddy gravel under a bridge. Bellow stood up first, helping Stirfry up after. “We should probably head back,” he said, stifling a yawn.

“Mm.” Stirfry wondered if Mr. DeBonesby was concerned with where he’d gone. He’d probably assumed he’d stay nearby, and he _definitely_ didn't know he was here, doing _this_. “Can I sleep with you?”

Bellow chuckled. “Aw, that’s sweet, buddy. You a cuddler?”

“Wh - no!” Stirfry flailed. “I mean - that’s not what I meant, I didn’t mean to _sleep_ with you, I meant to sleep - I - I - I just meant, could I stay in the room with you and Albee and Cordelia?”

“Oh. Well, sure. I think there’s only two beds, though.”

“Ha! I don’t need a _bed_. What do I look like, a millionaire?”

The walk back to the inn was surprisingly casual. Stirfry would have expected to be awkward and tense. Maybe he was just relaxed now, or maybe it was Bellow’s calming influence. Either way, by the time they reached The Delighted Wife, he was sleepy and content.

Bellow led him to the room and cracked the door, peeking through. “They’re asleep,” he whispered, “so be quiet.”

“I can do that,” Stirfry answered. “I’m very good at being quiet. Quiet as a mouse, except some mice are very noisy, so even _quieter_ than a - “

Bellow put a hand on his beak, stifling a squawk. He raised a finger to his lips and waited until Stirfry nodded to release him. Then he pushed the door open the rest of the way.

Cordelia was snoring loudly enough to cover their footsteps as they walked into the room. “I was just gonna sleep on the floor,” Bellow whispered.

“I’ll take the closet,” Stirfry mumbled back. “Just tuck me away in there. You won’t even know I’m here.”

Bellow chuckled. “Whatever makes you happy, man.”

Stirfry found the closet with little difficulty, even in the dark. He paused on the threshold. “Hey, Bellow?”

Bellow sounded half asleep. “Yeah, Stirf.” 

“Thanks.”

“No problem, man.”

Stirfry nodded in the darkness and shut himself in the closet.


End file.
